Muddy Fork Structure No. 5

About Muddy Fork Structure No. 5

The primary purpose of Muddy Fork Structure No. 5 is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Muddy Fork Of Silver Creek Watershed C.d (local government). It impounds the Unnamed Tributary Muddy Fork near Carwood.

The dam stands 53 feet tall and stretches 822 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,180 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1970, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/06/2019.

At 53 feet, this dam is taller than 94% of dams nationwide.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Indiana dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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